Joe Root spent a lively Friday morning at Old Trafford rewriting the record books, easing past three modern greats to sit behind only Sachin Tendulkar in the Test run-scorers’ list.
The Yorkshireman began day three on 11*. A glide to third man took him to 30 and beyond Rahul Dravid. Off the very next delivery a push through cover edged him past Jacques Kallis. A little later, a single to deep point moved him to 120 and, more tellingly, beyond Ricky Ponting’s 13,378 runs.
The ground rose as one, Root offering a slightly bashful grin. Shubman Gill, leading India, joined the applause, while Ponting – on commentary duty – had the best seat in the house.
“Congratulations, Joe Root. Magnificent,” Ponting said on Sky Sports. “Second on the table, 120 not out. This crowd at the ground, this very knowledgeable crowd here at Old Trafford, stands as one… Just the one more to go now. About 2,500 runs behind [Tendulkar], but the way that his career has gone over the last four or five years, there’s absolutely no reason why not.”
A moment later the former Australia captain expanded: “He’s been a wonderful player through those 157 Test matches. He’s been such a consistent player, hasn’t he? You don’t really remember a long period of time where he’s had a lean run. These last four or five years, it seems like every time he gets a start and gets to 50, it seems like he’s pushing on and making a hundred – and not just a hundred, making big hundreds, which is also the sign of a great player.”
Root’s hundred, his second in consecutive Tests, was his 38th overall, drawing him level with Kumar Sangakkara. Fifty came up for the 104th time, taking him clear of both Kallis and Ponting in that department and leaving only Tendulkar (119) ahead.
Old Trafford is turning into a personal haven; no other batter has passed 1,000 Test runs at the venue before. Each milestone also nudged England into a dominant position. With a series lead of 2-1 and a chunky first-innings advantage growing, Ben Stokes’ side are closing in on wrapping up the five-match series with a game to spare.
In truth, there was little fuss from Root himself. A tip of the helmet, a nod to the away slip cordon, then straight back to business – another cover drive, another couple. The next target, 15,921, remains distant, yet the 33-year-old’s current trajectory makes the pursuit anything but fanciful.
For now, Old Trafford’s crowd, and much of the cricketing world, are simply enjoying the ride.
